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What is Traditional Naturopathy?

Although the term “naturopathy” originated in the late 19th century, the art can be traced back through Germany into Greece, to Hippocrates himself, and even beyond. There have always been people who understood that healing occurs naturally in the human body, when it is given what it truly needs: proper diet, pure water, fresh air, sunlight, exercise and rest.

“Natural forces within us are the true healers.”
—Hippocrates

Traditionally, individuals who understood this principle have focused on helping the body establish its own condition of good health, rather than on overcoming a particular disease. Today, these individuals are known as either traditional naturopaths or naturopathic consultants.

In the views of traditional naturopathy, good health encompasses far more than the absence of disease. Instead, it is a dynamic state in which body, mind and spirit maintain an energetic equilibrium known as homeostasis. While traditional naturopaths recognize the importance of allopathic healthcare in specific instances, they also understand that many accepted allopathic treatments may not truly promote homeostasis.

In an approach that often equates symptom and disease, allopathic philosophy holds that disease is often caused by external agents and cured when the offending agents, which cause the symptoms, are eliminated. The traditional naturopath sees a symptom as a signal that the body’s healthy balance has been upset. According to naturopathic belief, when a symptom alone is removed, it is most likely being suppressed and may return later in a chronic form. True health can be achieved only when balance is restored.